Jeffrey M. Kuntz
Partner
Phone Number: 816.701.1124
Email: jkuntz@wcllp.com
4740 Grand Avenue Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64112
In Brief
Tried numerous cases to a verdict that have been listed by Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly in its annual listing of the Top Verdicts of the Year, on both the defense and plaintiff sides
Recognized as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
Recognized by The National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Civil Plaintiff’s Attorney
Served on numerous MDL Plaintiff’s Steering Committees
Co-Lead Counsel in First Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson in MDL Bellwether Case for Transvaginal Mesh Sling Products
Co-Lead Counsel in $35 million Transvaginal Mesh Verdict against Johnson & Johnson
Jeff Kuntz has a broad litigation practice with emphasis in the areas of professional liability, products liability, mass torts, drug and medical device litigation, and personal injury cases. He has significant jury trial experience, including participating in cases with multimillion-dollar damage claims for both plaintiffs and defendants.
He has served on the Plaintiff Steering Committee and multiple sub- committees for numerous MDL cases. He has been co-lead counsel or on the trial teams for eight transvaginal mesh trials with many resulting in multimillion-dollar jury verdicts. His work has been recognized by a number of local and national organizations. Jeff has represented several State Attorney Generals in Consumer Protection Claims related to Defective Products
Jeff is a member of the ABOTA Executive Committee for the Western Missouri/Eastern Kansas Chapter. He has also been appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court as a member of the Disciplinary Committee for Region IV (Kansas City).
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Pelvic Mesh Repair System Products Liability Litigation (S.D.W.V.)
In 2012, thousands of lawsuits filed nationwide against several manufacturers of transvaginal mesh products. These cases were consolidated by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) into several MDLs before the Honorable Joseph R. Goodwin in the Southern District of West Virginia. Among the dozens of lawyers who applied for leadership positions, Judge Goodwin selected Tom Cartmell as
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In Re: Ethicon, Inc., MDL No.2327
Wagstaff & Cartmell is heavily involved in this MDL. Tom Cartmell has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the four Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation MDLs in the Southern District of West Virginia in front of the Honorable Joseph R. Goodwin. He is Co-Lead Counsel for the Ethicon MDL. Jeff Kuntz is currently the head of the Expert Committee and Bellwether Trial Co
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In Re: Benicar Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606
D.N.J. $358 million global settlement of more than 2,200 cases in MDL. David DeGreeff served as a member of the Science and Experts Committee and oversaw the Secondary Science Document Review. Jeff Kuntz was appointed to the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for this case.
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In Re: Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL 1842
D.R.I. $184 million global settlement of more than 2,600 cases in MDL. Jeff Kuntz was a member of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for this case. He helped try the first Bellwether case in the multidistrict litigation.
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$1 Million Settlement – Auto Accident
Wagstaff & Cartmell represented the family of a man who was killed in a one car auto accident in Stone County, Missouri. Two men were in the car at the time of the accident, both were ejected in the crash, and both men died. At issue was who had been driving at the time of the accident.
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In Re: Infusion Pump Cases Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings (JCCP 4615)
Wagstaff & Cartmell attorney, Jeff Kuntz, was a member of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for this case.
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$12 Million Verdict – Medical Negligence
Wagstaff & Cartmell attorney, Jeff Kuntz, teamed with Derek H. Potts and Timothy L. Sifers, both of the Potts Law Firm, in obtaining a landmark $12.1 million jury verdict for their client, a quadriplegic minor, in a medical negligence case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
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3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability, MDL No. 2885
Attorneys at Wagstaff & Cartmell are involved in this product liability litigation. Tom Cartmell has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation MDL in the Northern District of Florida in front of the Honorable M. Casey Rodgers.
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In Re: Avandia Marketing Sales Practices and Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1871 (E.D. Pa.)
In 2007, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) created an MDL consolidating a number of cases before the Honorable Cynthia M. Rufe in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After being interviewed in open court, Judge Rufe appointed Tom Cartmell to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee leading this case. Tom was later selected to be co-lead trial counsel in the lead trial, which settle
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In Re: Bextra and Celebrex Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1699
Tom Cartmell was appointed by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer of the Northern District of California as a member of the Plaintiff's Steering Committee on this case. He also served as co-lead trial counsel in this product liability multi-district litigation arising out of the use of the medications Bextra and Celebrex. The lead case settled on the eve of trial and ultimately all cases in the MDL se
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In Re: Depuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 1699
N.D. Tex. Total settlements in MDL reported to be more than $1.7 billion Tom Cartmell serves on the Steering Committee in this case pending in the Northern District of Texas in front of the Honorable Ed Kinkeade. This case involves hip implants and includes claims of negligent design and failure to warn.
Practice Areas
- Class Actions & Commercial Litigation
- Healthcare and Professional Liability
- Mass Actions & Personal Injury
Other Practice Areas
- Product Liability
Education
- J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 2000
- London Law Consortium
- B.S. in Psychology, University of Kansas, 1996
Admissions
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
Honors + Awards
Best of the Bar, Kansas City Business Journal
Super Lawyer, Thomas Reuters
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Thomas J. Conway Award – 2010
William Welker Award – 2019
